Oct 10 Open to Interpretation? Part 5 The Body In Motion and at Rest

Christians, as one, are the Body of Christ. Some might disagree that God the Father has a body but I believe He does. And Jesus has a physical body (see Luke 24:39). But the Holy Spirit does not. I refer to the Holy Spirit with a male pronoun. Where the King James translates Him as "It[self]" in Romans (8:26), I don't think it was precise as it could've been. He is truly without gender but that doesn't mean He's an "It"; He's a person, like you and I, in that He's a Spirit. It's understandable that it might be difficult to wrap your mind around the concept of a bodiless entity without size and shape and with no means of discerning outside a humble and believing heart. Jesus said the "world seeth Him not" (John 14:17). God will help you, but (within reason) there might be some preconceived notions that need tweaking or shelving. I say "within reason" because by the same logic, anything that we invent by imagination could exist. But were not talking philosophy, we're talking Christianity.

As Christians are the Body of Christ in a figurative sense, then the Holy Spirit is like the blood that flows within and gives life to every member. Jesus, when speaking of the Holy Spirit, said to His disciples that He (the Holy Spirit) was with them, and would be in them (again, John 14:17). Prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, I don't think it was possible for those who believed in God to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But there are exceptions (Daniel, see Daniel 4:9; David, see Psalm 51:1). When Jesus said that He would be in them, does this refer to the Holy Spirit's descent at Pentecost? Sure. But what do you think about this: could it be that we receive a portion of the Holy Spirit upon salvation but that we could always have more? David (Old Testament, I know) said that "his cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:5) The river is always flowing.

"And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." (Revelation 22:1)

An interesting event takes place in Acts, chapter 19. Paul is on his way to Ephesus and he comes upon some believers who, it says, hadn't even heard of the Holy Spirit. After a question and answer session regarding their original baptism, Paul lays his hands on them and baptizes them in the name of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit that was in Paul comes into them. They immediately began speaking in tongues (verse 6).

This story illustrates that there are different ways of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. By direct contact with another human. Or directly from God, as in chapter 2.

However God chooses, if you're willing and press on in faith, He will see to it that you get all that is rightfully yours, in Him. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2:12) Including the gift of tongues.

I suppose the reason I feel so passionately about this is because of a particular corollary. It would seem the church is immured by the world's standard of expression and interaction. When society becomes intolerant of any expression of "religion" and seeks to keep it out of the public square, then we as a country will eventually cease to exist. Alexis de Tocqueville (French statesman and novelist), when he toured the country during the 1800s, praised the open expression of religion in our public square. By the same token, Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russian author and Nobel prizewinner), touring the country a hundred years later was booed by his Harvard audience for expressing the same sentiment. The church is seen in many circles as powerless and feckless. Jesus said that we'd "receive power" after He gave us the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). There's a disconnect somewhere and it's not God's fault.

"My brethren, these things ought not so to be." (James 3:10)

When we sideline and ignore the Holy Spirit, how then, as in Mark's Gospel (16:20), will He be able to "work with [us], confirming the Word with signs and wonders following"? (see also Hebrews 2:4) One of those "signs and wonders" is the gift of tongues and interpretations. Pray about it, wrestle with it. Where can we go from here? How can we, as a church body, return to the simplicity and power of our spiritual forbears in Acts? Acknowledge the Holy Spirit. He's just as much God as Jesus and the Father.